


A Christmas Miracle

by angelus2hot



Category: Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Angst, Fluff, M/M, Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-21
Updated: 2011-12-21
Packaged: 2017-10-29 02:29:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/314844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angelus2hot/pseuds/angelus2hot
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It takes almost losing Jim for Spock to finally realize how much the captain means to him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Christmas Miracle

**Author's Note:**

> **Title:** A Christmas Miracle  
>  **Fandom:** Star Trek(TOS always)  
>  **Rating:** PG-13  
>  **Word Count:** 2,597  
>  **Characters/Pairing:** Kirk/Spock  
>  **Summary:** It takes almost losing Jim for Spock to finally realize how much the captain means to him.  
>  **A/N:** written for ksadvent  
>  **A/N2:** After I signed up for my very first time for ksadvent I found myself without a fic idea. That is until I saw [This Post](http://st-picturethis.livejournal.com/1248.html) The drawing in it led to this fic.

The discussion had been going on for hours, ever since he had gotten the message from Starfleet. But now that the time for him to actually depart had arrived the arguments as to why he shouldn’t go alone had risen.

Captain James T. Kirk tried hard to keep his tone level, as he stepped onto the transporter and addressed his first officer. “I don’t understand why they are allowing only myself to beam down to the planet either. I don’t have a choice. I realize we know nothing about this world or its people but it's a risk I have to take. Starfleet wants a treaty with this planet. And I’m here to make sure they get it.”

The captain tried to swallow the sigh that threatened to escape. The week before Christmas was always a busy time and even more so for the Captain of the Enterprise. He always tried to make Christmas day a little special for all of his crew so far from home, even though it wasn’t always easy to make over four hundred crew members happy. And this time around it was going to be even harder. Starfleet had demanded he attend to the treaty they so desperately wanted with this planet whose name no one could even pronounce. They didn’t say why they wanted it, just that they did. So, instead of heading off to a planet in the Omicron Delta system for a few days of relaxation during the holiday season, here he was getting ready to transport down to an unknown world.

“Captain, don’t you think it would be wise if I...”

Jim quickly interrupted Spock. He knew exactly what his first officer was going to say as he had already said it numerous times. “No. I don’t.” He turned his head to include the doctor in his orders. “This is a delicate matter, gentlemen. They abhor all outsider technology and we can’t afford to insult them. Strict communication silence. In other words; Don’t call me. I’ll call you.” With a grin on his face and a nod at Spock to begin, the Captain dematerialized from the transporter.

 

 

“It’s been seventy-two hours, Spock!” The doctor glared at the first officer as he repeated what he had been telling Spock for the last few minutes.

“I’m well aware of how long it’s been, Doctor. But as of yet, there has been no contact from the Captain. And he did say for us to wait for him to contact the ship.”

Bones rolled his eyes. “That’s just...” He had almost used the word stupid but had managed to stop himself in time. “The Captain has never gone this long without contacting his ship.” Once more he glared at Spock, daring him to deny it.

“Ah, but you are forgetting that one time. The Captain did not contact the ship for over a week and somehow I do not recall your putting up such a fuss then.”

“A fuss? Why you pointy-eared....” Bones took a deep breath before he continued, “That was a different matter entirely. And you know it! We know nothing about this planet or it’s people. All we do know is that Jim is missing.”

“On the contrary, Doctor. We do not know for a fact he is missing. There could be a totally logical explanation for why the Captain has not contacted the ship.”

Bones rolled his eyes. “That’s highly doubtful.”

“We have our orders. What do you suggest I do, Doctor? Bring down on armed security detail to search for the Captain?”

But Bones was saved from answering as Uhura interrupted. “Mr. Spock, I have something. I think it’s the Captain.” She adjusted a button in front of her. “It’s so faint, I can barely make it out.”

“Put it through.”

The sound was garbled, the interference was massive but Spock managed to hear one word. _Spock?_

“Captain? Is that you? Do you require assistance?” Nothing but harsh sounds answered him. “Captain? Jim!?”

Spock spun around to face Uhura. “Get him back!”

Uhura punched and twirled every button at her station in an effort to reestablish contact but to no avail. “I’m sorry, Sir. I can’t.”

Spock quickly began to issue orders in rapid succession. “Lieutenant, keep trying to reach the captain. Doctor, you’re with me. Mr. Scott, you have the command.” Without another word, Spock entered the turbo lift with the doctor right behind him.

Less than five minutes later Spock and Bones materialized on the planet. And although Spock’s only reaction was a raised eyebrow, the doctor couldn’t quite hide his shock. The ship’s instruments had all but guaranteed this planet was a virtual paradise, with oceans, sandy beaches and palm trees. But somehow they were mistaken. The planet was nothing but a barren desert.

“Captain!”

Captain James T. Kirk laid not quite ten yards from where they were standing. His clothes shredded, his body covered in blood. How extensive the damage was neither one wanted to think about.

As they reached Captain Kirk, both men fell to their knees in the hot sand. Up close the captain looked worse than he had from a distance. The doctor began to quickly examine him. “Hold him still!” Bones barked the order as his patient’s body began to convulse. He raised an eyebrow as Spock gently lifted Jim’s head to lay it in his lap but didn’t say a word.

“Doctor?” Without thought, Spock began to stroke Jim’s face with his fingers.

“It’s bad, Spock. Whatever happened to him was highly efficient. Every organ in his body is shutting down.” The doctor paused for a moment before he continued to speak, “And there’s nothing I can do. He’s dying.”

“That is unacceptable, Doctor.”

“Well be that as it may, Spock. It’s the truth. The Captain won’t live out the day.”

“I don’t care what you do or how you do it, just save him.”

“Damn it, Spock! I’m a doctor not a magician. Don’t you understand? It’s impossible. There’s too much internal damage. There’s nothing I can do.” He repeated before he added, “It’s going to take a miracle for him to survive the next few hours let alone surgery. With the pain he’s endured already, it would be more merciful to let him die in peace!”

Spock’s eyes narrowed, his lips curled back into a snarl as he glared at the doctor. He wasn’t going to allow the only one who had the power to save the man who meant more to him than anything the luxury of saying the word impossible. “Save him!”

It wasn’t the tone of his voice that gave the doctor pause but the look in the first officer’s eyes. Raw pain and something else he had failed to see over the years. Love. _Well, I’ll be damned!_ He hadn’t thought the Vulcan had it in him. “We need to transport him up now.” As Spock flipped on his communicator he quickly added, “Tell Nurse Chapel, to have the instruments ready.”

“What are you doing to do?”

“Work on a miracle.”

 

As it turned out miracles weren’t all that easy of a thing to come by. Three times Jim Kirk died on the operating table. Three times Bones could hear a sound come from the outer waiting area. A sound that no man should ever have to make much less hear. And each time the Captain’s heart began to beat again of it’s own accord. The doctor was almost positive, if such things were indeed possible, not even the legendary James T. Kirk, lying close to death’s door, could handle the sound of agony coming from Spock.

 

The hours stretched on endlessly, Spock paced the floor as he waited for word on the captain’s condition. For someone who prided himself on controlling his emotions Spock’s ran the gambit. From wanting to scream at any deity who would listen to blowing up the planet beneath them. Finally, after what seemed like days, the doctor walked towards him.

“Doctor?”

“I’ve done all I can for him, Spock. It’s a miracle the captain has even lasted this long. To tell you the truth there were quite a few times when I was sure he wouldn’t make it.”

Spock quickly interrupted. “And now?”

“If he makes it through the next forty-eight hours then I’d say his prognosis is a good one. But that’s a big if, Spock. There are a lot of things that could go wrong.” He tried to caution Spock but one look at his face told him the first officer wasn’t listening anymore.

“May I see him?”

Bones nodded towards the open door. “Go on in. He’s still out of it but I don’t see any reason why you can’t see him for a couple of minutes. I’ll be in my office if you need me.”

With a nod, Spock walked into the room. For a brief minute the sight of Jim lying in the bed, so still and lifeless gave him pause. He leaned against the wall for support before he straightened up and walked towards his captain’s bed.

Minutes passed as Spock stared down at his captain and his friend. It took every ounce of his strength not to climb in the bed with him, pull him into his arms where nothing would be allowed to hurt him ever again.

“Jim.” The captain’s name was a whispered plea. Unable to help himself, Spock brushed a lock of hair from Jim’s forehead before he wrapped his hand around the captain’s hand. Spock turned to make sure the doctor was nowhere in sight before he began to speak, “The doctor says the next forty-eight hours are crucial to your survival. If you can make it through that time then you will recover. Tomorrow’s Christmas day, well in two hours and twenty minutes to be exact. I have never once wanted anything for that earth holiday until now. The only thing I want is you. I want your survival.” Spock leaned down closer and pressed his mouth to the captain's ear. “Please, Jim. You have to recover. Not just for the crew who look up to you or for the ship that needs you but for me. Do it for me, Jim.” When he finished speaking, Spock tucked the captain’s hand underneath the blanket before he straightened up. As he turned around he was surprised to find the doctor standing in the doorway.

Bones knew he should do the decent thing and pretend he hadn’t seen or heard the things he had but he also knew he might not ever get another chance to meddle into the Vulcan’s love life. “When are you planning on telling him?”

“Telling him what?”

Bones rolled his eyes at the display of Vulcan obstinacy. “That you’re a pointy-eared, green blooded jackass! What do you think I’m talking about?”

Spock raised an eyebrow at the good doctor’s tone but didn’t comment. “I haven’t a clue, Doctor.”

“You are the most stubborn man I have ever had the misfortune to meet.”

His eyebrow shot higher. “I see no reason to insult me.”

The doctor clenched his teeth tight together to keep the foul words from coming out of his mouth. Finally, after he had counted to ten, twice; Bones took a deep breath and began to speak. “You love him.” He quickly held up his hand to stop Spock from denying it. “There’s no sense in trying to deny it, Spock. I remember how you were when we found him. And don’t say you were just worried for the captain’s condition as any good first officer would be. Because even if you could explain away your actions on the planet’s surface you should know that I stood in the doorway and watched you for at least ten minutes before I entered the room just now.”

His mouth opened and closed several times as he tried to find a suitable explanation of what the doctor may have seen. Unable to come up with a good enough excuse, Spock clamped his mouth shut and glared.

“Come on, Spock. For once in your emotionless Vulcan life admit that you care for someone.”

The two men were totally unaware their heated conversation had woken the captain and continued with the discussion.

“That is oversimplifying the matter, Doctor.”

“It is simple, Spock. Do you care for Jim or not?”

 

James Kirk kept his eyes closed tightly as he waited with baited breath for Spock to answer.

With one glance at the captain, Spock could no longer deny what he felt. “Although it goes against everything that I am, I care more for Jim than I should.”

A huge smile spread across Bone’s face. For a Vulcan that was damn near ‘I love you.’ “Well, it’s about damn time.”

“I couldn’t agree more.”

Both men were startled to see the captain with his eyes open, staring at Spock, a huge satisfied smile plastered on his face. “What took you so long?” He couldn’t help but tease.

“Captain. I...”

“Spock, it’s Jim. Call me Jim.”

Even though he had questions and lots of them on how the captain had gotten in his condition, Bones quietly turned around and walked towards the door. Both of them were so wrapped up in their conversation that neither man noticed as the doctor discreetly left the room

“Jim, what happened to you on that planet? What did....”

“Spock, please.” He couldn’t stop himself from interrupting. There would be plenty of time to discuss what he had been through but right now he had more pressing matters to attend to. “Just this once, say it and I’ll never ask it again. I know it goes against your Vulcan nature but I need to hear you say the words.” Jim stared pleadingly up at Spock. “Just once?”

“After all that has happened, what almost happened, I believe my Vulcan nature as you put it will be able to handle saying the words you need to hear.” Spock carefully sat down on the bed beside the injured man and took the captain’s face in his hands. “I love you, James T. Kirk. Don’t ask me when because the truth is I don’t know. It seems as if I have always loved you. It just took almost losing you to make me realize it. And if you will let me I would like to spend the rest of your days proving to you how very much I do love you.”

Tears filled Jim’s eyes at the words he had waited to hear for so long. “If it took me almost dying for you to realize you loved me, then I’m glad it happened. I would gladly go through it all over again if it would lead us back to this moment.”

Spock leaned his head down to stare directly into his captain’s eyes. “Don’t say that! You did die, Jim. Three times! It’s a miracle you survived at all.” His breathing was harsh. “You can’t leave me. Not ever.”

The harshness of his first officer’s tone spoke volumes. Jim Kirk slowly shook his head as he grabbed the back of Spock’s head and pulled him closer. “Never.” He whispered before their lips touched in a kiss filled with passion and hunger but most of all with love.

After years of pretending, the Captain and the Vulcan could finally claim the love they so desperately felt for each other but had been too afraid to admit it.

This was the way it should’ve been from the beginning and how it will always be from now on.


End file.
